Real-time brain mapping to guide tumor surgery
Official title: Towards intra-operative guidance in brain tumor surgery using real-time resting-state functional MRI
Funded at Neurinsight, LLC · NIH-11142186 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds automated real-time resting-state fMRI tools to help surgeons find and protect important brain networks during tumor operations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Neurinsight, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albuquerque, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $973,322 |
| NIH project number | 4R42NS134505-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142186 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people having brain tumor surgery—especially patients who cannot perform task-based fMRI, those undergoing surgery under anesthesia, or patients planned for minimally invasive procedures.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without brain tumors, those who cannot have an MRI (for example due to incompatible implants), or cases where standard awake cortical mapping is already sufficient may not benefit from this technology.
What this research studies
The team is creating software that analyzes resting-state fMRI continuously to map critical brain networks before and during surgery. It runs on a high-performance workstation and is designed to tolerate head motion, anesthesia effects, and shifts in the brain that occur during operations. The tool will produce automated online maps with quality checks so surgeons can get iterative guidance while removing a tumor. The work builds on an existing real-time fMRI platform and will be refined for use at centers with intraoperative MRI capability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the technology could help surgeons remove tumors more safely by reducing damage to important brain networks and preserving function.
How similar studies have gone: Small prior work, including a Phase I STTR study in 12 patients, showed promise, but fully automated intraoperative resting-state fMRI mapping remains a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Neurinsight, LLC
Albuquerque, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dennig, Dieter W — Neurinsight, LLC
- Study coordinator: Dennig, Dieter W
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.